27/09/2024
World first:
Le Commandant Charcot
reaches the north pole of inaccessibility
On 12 September, Le Commandant Charcot becomes the first ship to reach the legendary North Pole of Inaccessibility. At the helm: Captain Étienne Garcia. While taking the Transpolar route from Nome, Alaska, to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, she also crossed the Magnetic North Pole and the Geographic North Pole. This historic moment was celebrated on board by the entire crew, scientists and guests.
Reaching the North Pole of Inaccessibility is a moment of rare intensity. Above all, it is a collective adventure, made possible thanks to PONANT’s passion and expertise
Captain Étienne Garcia
A scientific odyssey
On board, 20 international scientists are on a mission to collect critical data in this unexplored area.
Le Commandant Charcot is specifically designed for expeditions in extreme environments while minimising her environmental impact thanks to her hybrid electric engine powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The North Pole of Inaccessibility
The North Pole of Inaccessibility is defined as the point on the vast Arctic Ocean that is furthest from land.
First described in 1909 by the Russian polar explorer Alexander Koltchak, the exact geographic coordinates were established in 2013 by Jim McNeill with the help of NASA and satellites: 85°48’ North, 176°09’ East. It is located at 1,465 km from Utqiasuk in Alaska, 1,390 km from Franz Josef Land in Russia and 1,070 km from Ellesmere Island in Canada. For comparison the Geographic North Pole is around 700 km from land.
In 1927, Hubert Wilkins flew over this Pole of Inaccessibility for the first time in a plane, but no-one had ever set foot on it
